Watch the NATO tank competition where the US lost to Germany, Denmark, and Poland
US Army photo by Pfc. Javon Spence
On May 13, seven platoons from six NATO nations squared off for the Strong Europe Tank Challenge, a three-day tank competition that tested offensive and defensive operations.
The German platoon took first place, with Denmark taking second and Poland taking third.
The US platoons did not place in the contest, which was the first of its kind since 1991.
The joint competition in Grafenwoehr, Germany, underlines a large-scale effort to increase military readiness in Eastern Europe as Russia increasingly engages in threatening behaviors.
Increasingly, military planners are beginning to realize that conventional warfare, like infantry and tank brigades, are needed to deter, or even win a conflict with Russia.
"To maintain the whole portfolio of capabilities, it is really important to also train together with tanks," German Army Brig. Gen. Markus Laubenthal, the first non-American to be chief of staff for US Army Europe, said in a US Army statement. "We want to promote the capabilities of armored warfare and tanks because it is needed."
"It is really important to work together with other nations as close as you can," he said. "Only training and integration build interoperability and trust for success in multinational operations."
In the slides below, see exactly how the competition went down.
Here is the German Leopard 2A6 at the competition.
US Army photo by Pfc. Javon SpenceCrew: 4 soldiers
Platoon size: 4 tanks
Armament: 120 mm smoothbore, 2x 7.62 mm
Speed: 42 mph
Range: 310 miles
Length: 36 feet
Weight: 62 tons
Here's the Danish entry into the competition, also a Leopard but a 2A5 model.
US Army photo by Pfc. Emily HoudershieldtCrew: 4 soldiers
Platoon size: 4 tanks
Armament: 120 mm smoothbore, 2x 7.62 mm
Speed: 45 mph
Range: 310 miles
Length: 32 feet
Weight: 62.5 tons
Here we see the Polish Leopard 2A5.
US Army photo by Pfc. Emily HoudershieldtCrew: 4 soldiers
Platoon size: 4 tanks
Armament: 120 mm smoothbore, 2x 7.62 mm
Speed: 45 mph
Range: 310 miles
Length: 32 feet
Weight: 62.5 tons
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